ORLANDO, Fla. – Jay Larranaga jumped up and down on the sidelines, imploring his team to force turnovers and come back from a late fourth-quarter deficit. The Boston Celtics assistant coach, leading the organization’s summer league entry, called timeout while down by eight points with 1:13 left. He utilized a full-court trap, and he called plays hoping for open 3-pointers that would cut the margin. It’s just summer league, sure, but Larranaga played to win.

And Fab Melo only played four second-half minutes, giving him 10 total. He finished with one point, one block and zero rebounds.

“We have 12 guys on the team. Trying to get everyone a look, so it’s just kind of how the rotation goes in summer league,” said Larranaga.

Melo needs the development more than anyone, but I imagine the Celtics are frustrated with his lack of improvement. He seems to have a better handle on defensive rotations now, and maybe he doesn’t take as many ill-advised risks on offense. But a 7-feet-tall, former No. 22 pick with a year of professional experience should at least leave his mark on summer league games. Melo's averaging 5.0 points and 3.0 rebounds through four games, he doesn't seem to be in shape and he makes a couple of inexplicable decisions every game. He still blocks shots, but he hasn't even provided glimpses of doing anything else at an NBA level. One reporter joked that he's had more dunk attempts rejected than the rest of the Orlando summer league combined.

Do the Celtics have a Melo problem? Based on what he’s shown during the first four games of summer league (and all of last year, except for one record-breaking week in the D-League), he’s less deserving of a roster spot than anyone with a chance of making the team. Yet because of his status as a 2012 first-round pick, his deal’s guaranteed through the end of next season. That could hurt someone else's chances of making the team: The Celtics are slated to have 16 players once a trade with the Brooklyn Nets goes through (that’s excluding second-round pick Colton Iverson, who’s impressed as a bruiser in Orlando), and having Melo count as basically an empty roster spot could keep them from holding onto a player they like. I know, Melo's still young and he's still a 7-footer. He's still played just six or seven years of basketball, and -- like I said before -- he's always shown an ability to block shots. I likewise know the 15th man on the roster generally doesn't make a huge difference, especially with Boston's status as a non-contender. But after a year spent mostly in the D-League, Melo really hasn't made strides like the Celtics probably expected he would.

I take notes on every play, and I barely mentioned Melo’s name at all Wednesday. He threw one pass to nobody in particular (I couldn’t have even guessed his intentions on that possession); he fouled former Notre Dame bruiser Jack Cooley in the post; he took part in a weird lineup that featured three 7-footers, including Kelly Olynyk and Colton Iverson; and he had one play that encouraged Larranaga to put his head into his hands. Melo was guarding a Rockets guard in a pick and roll situation. Rather than keep his hands straight up to contest the shot (think: how Roy Hibbert became one of the NBA’s best defenders), he tried to swipe the basketball away (think: how Earl Boykins probably would have tried defending the same play). After the referees whistled a foul on Melo, a chorus of “don’t reach!” came from the Celtics bench. Larranga briefly put his head into his hands, and then he asked Melo if he knew what Boston planned to do on the next possession.

It’s entirely possible the center was a victim of circumstance in the rotation Wednesday. Tim Abromaitis played great, the Celtics were pressing full court, and they needed as much offensive firepower as possible to try erasing a late deficit – pretty much the worst situation for Melo to earn minutes. I understand that. But put simply, the 7-footer doesn’t deserve more minutes even for the summer league entry.

In 18 minutes, Iverson chased down eight rebounds. He threw around his body and probably left a few opponents bruised. He ran the floor as quickly as he could, and he fought to front opponents in the post. When he and Cooley worked inside for rebounds, they acted like tigers chasing after a raw slab of steak (think: The Hangover, except with two of Mike Tyson’s tigers locked into a bathroom instead of one). Even when Iverson doesn’t post big scoring stats (he hasn’t all week, and probably won’t ever), everyone in the gym can spot his toughness immediately. It’s so easy to notice it smacks you straight in the eyeballs – kind of like Iverson might if you were both chasing after a rebound.

“He’s just a very physical player,” said Larranaga. “He plays as hard as he can. He’s not afraid of contact. He’s somebody I think all the players like playing with him.”

Melo, with a full year of professional experience, has been thoroughly outplayed all week by a second-round pick who transferred after his junior season at Minnesota because he wanted more playing time. There’s still plenty of time before the regular season – time Melo could use to get into shape, to continue becoming more comfortable as a defender, to develop a better offensive game. And there are worse things than being obligated to keep a young 7-footer on an NBA roster. But based on what we’ve seen so far, Melo doesn’t deserve his guaranteed contract. And he could take an opportunity away from someone who does.